x
Breaking News
More () »

Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald remembered in Toledo on Sunday

The museum offered guided tours of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker freighter on Sunday to demonstrate what work-life was like for crewmen of the ill-fated "Fitz".

TOLEDO, Ohio — Sunday marked the 49th anniversary of the day 29 mariners on the Edmund Fitzgerald freighter lost their lives in a storm on Lake Superior.

Toledo has a special connection of the shipwreck as many of its crewmen on that day in 1975 came from the city, including the captain. 

The Edmund Fitzgerald, also known as the Pride of the American Side, and the Titanic of the Great Lakes, met her demise under unknown circumstances 49 years ago.

In that quiet, icy grave lives on the memory of 29 men who made up the crew.

The history of the "Fitz" began in 1958 with the ship's first voyage across the freshwater seas. 

For the next 17 years, the ship sailed iron ore to different ports, helping to benefit local economies, including Toledo's.

The ship remained the largest carrier on the Great Lakes until 1971. 

Five years later however, under dangerous conditions, and just 17 miles from the safety of Whitefish Bay, the mighty ship sailed for the last time. 

Now, just one year from the 50th anniversary of the wreck, the ship and crew are being remembered through tours of the Colonel James. Schoonmaker in Toledo. 

The Schoonmaker was built by the same shipyard that built the Edmund Fitzgerald. On Sunday, guests were told the story of the sinking ship while comparing the similarities between the vessels.

"You get a lot of people that are unaware of the museum being here and the Schoonmaker and find it quite interesting that they were both built by the same shipyard and they have very similar histories," said Schoonmaker tour guide Tom Kubiak.

Kubiak, says numerous theories live on as to exactly what caused the 729-foot Edmund Fitzgerald to sink. 

One thing scholars and history buffs can all agree on is that the ship was the victim of a powerful storm on the night of November 10th, 1975.

Even as the years tick away, the mystery of the ship's demise is one of the things that keeps its memory alive in people's minds.

"I think that's part of what makes it so interesting to me. Like Amelia Earhart's wreck, when she wrecked, no-one knows really what happened or where she's at. It's kind of a mystery that plays into the history that makes it more appealing," said Edwards. "There's a lot of knowledge and stuff I didn't know. It was definitely worth the two-hour drive we had here."

Next year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. And Toledo will most definitely remember.

MORE FROM WTOL 11:

 

Before You Leave, Check This Out